Unraveling the Nighttime Eating Spiral

Hello! Vanessa here. Karen will lead the discussion this week on a verrrrry popular topic, judging by our nutrition consults: nighttime eating. And as usual, I've got some thoughts! 

If you've ever wondered why it is that you can be "so good" during the day with regards to food choices and eating, then feel like it all "falls apart" at night, I would urge you to take a look first at your language and then the definitions that follow. Many people think of food and eating behavior as a double-edged sword: it's good or bad, clean or dirty, honest or guilty pleasure; with no in-between. Then, if we eat them, we apply the same adjectives to ourselves accordingly. If this sounds familiar, what can you do to adjust your thinking to eat in a way that allows you to be satisfied during the day so that you are not feeling so hungry in the evening?

As we've talked about before in this space, there’s no one way to eat healthy. And, while different foods have different nutritional contents, no single food is inherently good or bad.  Is it possible that your daytime eating is setting you up to be hungry at night? Are you denying yourself energy, carbs, fats and/or satisfaction? If the answer is yes, it's no wonder that you may find yourself eating more at the end of the day.

A better approach is to give yourself permission to eat what you want without judgment. This may sound like I'm saying "eat whatever, whenever", but again, nuance comes into play here. The key is to pay attention to how these foods make you feel during and after eating them. What gives you energy and focus? What makes you need an immediate nap? Think about how your eating behaviors can work for you during the day. I would bet money that when you allow yourself to fuel in a way that nourishes, you won't have to look at nighttime eating through a lens of denial.